Denver/Houston/College Station Rental Property Advice

[Merlin M.]

Hello Community,

I am seeking advice on my current situation. I currently have 2 rental properties both of which are the result of me moving for work after purchasing a home to live in. I purchased both of the homes with renting them out as a backup plan. I use property managers for both properties and have grown to love the real estate business. 

I would like to scale my real estate investing portfolio with the overall goal of generating cash flow. I recently moved to College Station, TX for work, I am currently renting with a lease ending 12/9/2017. I am interested in buying single or multi family homes in my current area.

Home 1 - Littleton, CO - 2 bed 1 1/2 bath town home with garage  - Purchased 7/2013 for $150k - Current Mortgage $138k 3.75% int- Current Value Approx 250k-270k - Renting for $1650 per month with a month cost of $1211 (not including repair of cap budget.) - Lease ending 6/31/2018 - Good Neighborhood B+

Monthly cashflow $439 - Estimated proceeds of sale = +/- $100k

Home 2 - Friendswood, TX - 3 Bed 2 bad single family with 2 car garage - Purchased 9/2015 for $155K - Current Mortgage 142K 4.35% int - Current Value Approx 175K - Renting for $1650/mo with a cost of 1401/mo (not including repair of cap budget.) - Lease ending 5/31/2018

Monthly cashflow $249 - Estimated proceeds of sale = +/-20K-Good Neighborhood B+

*This property currently has a escrow shortage due to rising property taxes. This shrinks cash-flow to $106/mo for the next 12 mo.

I can raise approximately 50K in additional capital. I have excellent credit and low debt.

Questions:

1. Would it be worth it to sell both of those properties to get the $120K and turn that into additional investments?

2. Does it make more sense to take all 170K I can gather and purchase a well researched multifamily and live in a unit or look to purchase multiple properties to limit risk?

3. Finally should I hold my current properties until they reach a certain bench mark?

In summary I respect the wealth of knowledge in this community and appreciate the advice and wisdom of more experienced investors.

Thank you,

Merlin